Temerile I se confruntă
by AlyssPotter
Summary: Because all lies have a basis of truth. When you have to face your worst fears, it's natural to want a bit of space. It was probably a bad thing Robin was used to it.


**A/N**

 **It's a slightly unpleasant story. But, you know, I thought of it and had to write it down! Don't worry, though, it has a happy ending!**

 **...ish.**

 **Summary: Because all lies have a basis of truth. When you have to face your worst fears, it's natural to want a bit of space. It was probably a bad thing Robin was used to it.**

 **Song(s):**

 **Keep the streets empty for me- Fever Ray**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own, no rights.**

 **Temerile I se confruntă (The fears I face)**

When he finally woke up gasping for breath, he was met with the sight of his teammates slumped on the ground, each twitching and jerking, murmuring and screaming. Was it bad he was used to the sight?

The grey room was dark, dank, and unpleasant. There was traces of blood and broken materials scattered on the floors. Chains hung from the wall, and Robin glared at them with malice. Unfortunately, he knew where they were.

With a deep sigh, Robin rolled to his feet, wincing slightly at the pain in his abdomen. He stumbled over to the corner where his utility belt had been carelessly thrown and gripped the yellow fabric tightly, managing to sling it over his shoulder to avoid the wound. He reached into one of the smaller pockets and pulled out a tube of yellow liquid and a syringe. Wally could be a germaphobe all he liked when they got back, but Robin didn't have time to clean it in between each person. It had already been in their system a long time-for them. He'd get himself last in case he ran out.

Ignoring the swirling memories and phantom pains, he managed to make his way over to Miss Martain first, because she was likely getting input from not only her own fear, but everyone else's. He couldn't find the vain and hurriedly searched her arm, sighing with relief when he saw the green vessel (was it because of her green skin?) and quickly injecting the cure. Her body sagged with relief, but he couldn't wait for her to wake up, so continued. Artemis (she had a lot of bad memories), Superboy, Kid Flash, and Aqualad. He went to inject himself and was meant with a thin amount of substance. He grimaced. It was better than nothing, though.

Robin sighed happily as the fear venom was dulled. He would get some from Batman when they got back to base.

Groaning alerted him to his waking friends, so he slipped the syringe back into his pocket and went to check on their mental states. Miss Martian gasped and surged to her feet, eyes darting around for threats, relaxing and looking to her teammates when nothing was found.

"Robin, what's going on?" M'gann asked her only alert teammate, flying down from the ceiling and helping him prop Superboy up on the wall with the others.

"The Joker and Scarecrow managed to knab us from the warehouse when we were battling Kobra and Sportsmaster. They injected us with fear venom, at least half an hour ago. Do you think you can call the Bioship?" Robin listed off as he struggled to lift Wally up, "I don't think they're in any condition to move."

M'gann nodded, eyes glowing green as she telepathically communicated with the Bioship.

Robin pulled out a skeleton key and tried inserting it into the lock. His numerous try's failed, so he put the key back in a pocket and kicked it. Hard.

The door shattered as aging wood splintered, leaving an opening for them to escape. There was a hallway leading from the room in two separate directions, one up a flight of stairs, and one to a steel door.

' _Miss Martian, do you think you'll be able to get the Team to the Bioship?_ ' Robin called out telepathically, already sprinting up the flight of stairs.

' _Yes of course_ ,' M'gann said, pausing in righting Artemis. ' _Robin, where are you going?_ '

Robin grunted, leaping and knocking out another thug to join the pile he'd already made.

' _I need to make sure that there aren't any more hostages. Don't wait for me.'_

 _'But-'_

 _'Don't wait. Peoples lives may be at stake, M'gann!'_

 _'Alright,_ ' Miss Martian sighed, eyes glowing green again as she carried her unconscious teammates to and through the metal door.

A child screamed as Robin kicked down yet _another_ moldy door. His eyes scanned the room, finding several children, a few scattered teenagers, and at least 7 adults-and the Joker?

Oh, wait. Hallucinations.

Robin ran over to the group, noting their duct taped hands and feet, and started cutting them free.

"Here," Robin thrusted a pair of wire cutters to a wide eyed adult, who thankfully got right to work. Within a few minutes, everyone was standing up, rubbing raw wrists and shaking sore ankles. The children looked at him in awe, which, in any other situation, would've made him go red. But right now, they needed to get out of the warehouse before the supervillains decided to come back again.

"Everybody come on!" Robin shouted, grabbing a kid and swinging her onto his back. The little girl made a frightened noise and clung to his cape. "What's your name, kiddo?" he asked softly, turning his head slightly. The girl peeked up at him and whispered, "Stephanie," then burrowed her face back into his face, bringing a smile to Robin's face.

The other kids were quickly picked up by the teenagers and adults, and the group followed Robin across another hallway, through several doors, and into a big room. They were halfway across before he heard an (unfortunately familiar) insane laugh. Several of the civilians screamed and Robin tensed, turning towards the Joker.

"Aw, is the itty-bitty boy blunder trying to escape?" the madman giggled, stumbling to his feet and smiling.

"Stephanie," Robin whispered to the girl, "I need you to go with-uh," he wildly gestured to a teenager with no charge.

"Jamie," the dark haired boy said.

Robin nodded. "I need you to go with Jamie now, Stephanie."

"Are you g-gonna fight the bad guy now?" the child asked, looking over at the Joker before squeaking.

Robin nodded, smiling slightly as he managed to ease her tight grip onto Jamie. "I promise, I'll be right back."

Jamie glanced at him, concerned. Robin turned to him. "The exit is down that corridor, two doors down on the left, the passcode is 8-2-4-4-9-6. Run strait into the forest until you reach a pond, then turn right and you'll eventually come onto a shopping market." Robin hurridly whispered instructions as the clown advanced, pulling out several birdarangs. "Tell the man inside to call the police and the Justice League, and don't let anyone out of your sights; think you can do that?"

The boy nodded, a terrifyed expression on his face, but calling the group after him none the less. Robin let out a sigh of relief before pivoting to face the manically grinning mad man.

Said man laughed wildly, advancing forward with a flower in hand. "Come here, baby bird, Uncle J is going to teach you a lesson!"

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Robin yelled, once again thrown to the ground with a thud. He took out his eskrima sticks and flipped backwards to his feet, dodging the Joker's fists slamming into the ground. He panted heavily, spinning and kicking the Joker's face, shaking his head to try and clear the hallucinations. Batman tied up in a corner, Two-face advancing, his friends withering in pain. He even saw a flash of the Big Top... It was getting harder to distinguish reality from the fear venom.

Flipping, kicking, and jabbing the man proved to be satisfying, but he was deflected by the crowbar the man wielded. It had been a while since Robin had used the weapon, and unfortunately, it was showing. He mixed martial arts into the fight, managing to knock the man down again, but he was still almost twice as small as the Joker, and such attacks proved to have little effect.

He yelped, tumbling backwards to avoid another jab to the face. He cartwheeled back to his feet and threw down a smoke bomb, trying to buy the hostages more time. The Joker had proven on multiple occasions to re-catch them, and Robin didn't have backup. He'd tried contacting the League, Batman, even the Team, but his comm and computer were both destroyed from whatever Joker had done to them.

As the Joker stumbled around, coughing and still smiling, Robin shot his grappling gun, lifting himself up to the rafters. He threw several exploding birdarangs, cackling as the clown fell backwards.

He swung back down, kicking the man with momentum, causing him to fall back down. Robin ran to the outskirts of Joker's reach, randomly jabbing and kicking from the smoke. The clown shrieked, waving his arms around, getting angrier by the second.

"BOY BLUNDER!" he shrieked. His purple suit was in tatters and he was snarling, pulling out several purple bombs. The Joker threw them in several directions, laughing insanely once again.

Robin darted to the shadows, firing his grappling gun strait up to avoid the green smoke that emitted from the bombs. Though he managed to avoid the brunt of it, Robin still inhaled a small amount of the gas, making him gag. The hallucinations picked up in speed, and he rubbed his head from the pain. The laughter below him suddenly stopped, and Robin chanced a glance down.

The Joker had been knocked out, and above him stood...Batman? Or was that Superman? He couldn't really tell. He gasped when he saw the blood, swinging down to help whichever hero it was (or was that a hallucination, too?) He turned around, and Robin stumbled back. Staring back at him was Scarecrow, a malicious smirk on his face. "Going somewhere, little bird?"

He tried to kick the villain, but found himself blocked. Suddenly, the face twisted, and then it was Two-face. Robin tried to jerk back, but was grabbed by the hulking black figure. Robin struggled, punching and kicking, even attempting to flip him over, but the man anticipated his every move. "Hold still!" the man hissed, pulling out a needle from-from Batman's utility belt!

"What have you done to him?!" Robin struggled even harder, shrieking with anger and worry and pain.

"Robin, calm down!" A voice said, but he was already too far gone, back in the circus grounds. Above him hung Batman on the trapeze, and all his friends were chained to the ceiling. Robin yelled, twisting and jabbing, but couldn't escape Two-face's grip, forcing him to watch the horrific scene. Batman swung above, and Alfred jumped from the platform, catching his hands. Three other Robin's also flipped to the man's grip (though where they came from, he wasn't sure).

His Mami and Tati were standing on the platform with the rest of his family, grinning as they joined the odd group. Wally's chains shuddered and the red head slipped down a little farther, making Robin scream with panic. Suddenly they were all falling, injured, in pain, suffering, just _falling_.

Robin yelled, pulling, twisting, he needed to save them, but then the needle jabbed him and he passed out just before they all hit the ground.

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"-bin! R-! ROBIN!"

The boy wonder sat bolt right up in his bed, instantly regretting it. A pounding in his head made itself known, as well as a stitched wound in his side. His arms were wrapped in bandages, and he thankfully had his mask over his eyes. He groaned, laying back down onto a pile of pillows that instantly appeared on the bed.

"Dude, how are you feeling?" Wally asked him (he had a very distinct voice), messing with the bed and pouring Robin a glass of water. Robin took it thankfully, doing his best not to gulp down the cold relief.

He shrugged, squinting his eyes at the bright light. Around his hospital bed at the Cave were the rest of the Team. "I've been better; really not feeling the aster."

Kaldur chuckled, leaning back in his chair slightly. "You gave us quite the scare, Robin. We only woke up on the Bioship after it took off."

"Wally was panicking," Artemis smirked, hip jutted to the side with slight worry in her eyes. Robin grinned as Wally spluttered.

"Well, of course I was panicking! I just woke up from a terrifying vision to find my best friend gone and the rest of my Team passed out on the floor!" Wally justified, waving his hands about for emphasis. He took a bite of his energy bar as it flew by his facd, munching irritatedly.

Robin just smiled, looking over at M'gann and Conner, who watched him closely. "Are the rest of you guys ok?" Robin assesed the rest of his teammates critically. Wally was favoring his right foot, Artemis's left shoulder was tensed from unseen pain, Kaldur had a bandage wrapped around his head, but Conner and M'gann looked alright, though M'gann was stressed (probably from the fear venom and everyones emotional output, he mused).

"Ya," Artemis answered for him, "you were really the only one injured."

Robin nodded, rolling his left shoulder tenderly. "And what about the civilians?"

"They are all safe, Robin," Kaldur said, smiling. "They all wished to thank you, but Batman has a strict policy on no visitors."

Robin smirked, already planning an escape from the Med bay. He really hated hospital beds. "Sounds like him, alright." He and Wally shared a knowing smirk.

"R-Robin?" M'gann said quietly, hands clasped in her lap.

Robin raised an eyebrow, "What's up, M'gann?"

"W-well-"

"Be as chalant as you like."

M'gann took a deep breath before staring him strait in the eyes. "I-I saw part of your hallucination and, and I just wondered-do you want to talk about it?"

Robin stared at her for a second, caught off guard. Sighing, he pulled himself up, cracking his back. "Thanks Miss M, but it's alright. I'm pretty used to his fear toxin, so it doesn't affect me as much anymore." Ok, that was a blatant lie, but he really, really didn't want to discuss his feelings with the whole Team.

Superboy stared at him with a slight frown, detecting the lie instantly. But he knew sharing wasn't really the Bat way, so he let it go.

The Team talked for a few more minutes, catching up (he'd been out for 3 days! _3 days!_ ) before the door slid open. In the entrance was a black cape Robin instantly recognized.

"Team, Robin needs to recover; you can visit more latter," Batman said in his deep voice, ignoring the glares sent his way. They took the que, though, and made their way out, saying goodbye to Robin.

Once the door slid shut again, Robin turned to his mentor, who smiled and took off his cowl.

"How are you feeling?" Bruce made his way over to the bed side, pulling out a chair. Robin sighed, pulling off the mask and carelessly tossing it to the side.

"Alright. The fear venom is definitely not whelming, though." Dick sighed, grabbing Bruce's gloved hand with his own.

Bruce smirked slightly, watching his ward carefully. "It's a new version of the toxin, which is why your system couldn't resist as easily. Thankfully, the old cure works just fine, but I've had to tweak it so that it can cancel out the side effects."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Bruce spoke again.

"You did very well, Dick; the Joker's in custody again and it's only a matter of time before we find Scarecrow." Dick smiled at his mentor, who squeezed his sons hand. "I'm not only impressed, but very proud of you. You managed to hold off the Joker until the hostages were safe; not an easy feat."

Dick smiled widely, basking in the rarely received praise. "Thanks Bruce."

But then he frowned, an expression the dark knight hated seeing on his cheerful protege's face. Dick turned away from him and wrapped his arms around his injured torso. "The venom, though-it just felt so real! I could see you all, and-and Bruce, I just-"

The man cut him off by leaning over and hugging him. Dick sat unresponsive for a second before leaning into the warm embrace.

"I know it's tough, but you can't allow yourself to push people away from fears," Bruce told him. Dick just nodded, burrowing his head into the tough kevlar. Both of them knew from experience that never worked, it only made things worse. Batman lifted his protege into his arms, pulling his cowl back over his head and placing Dick's mask back on his face. "Let's go home."

So the next time Robin was at the Cave, it was filled with his trade mark cackle's and Wally's cursing as he tripped over his bed sheets, pranked once again by the boy wonder. M'gann giggled and made more cookies, Conner watched static, Kaldur read, and Artemis sharpened her arrows. None of them saw him, though they knew he was there, and none of them treated him differently. Robin watched them all, smiling.

Because sometimes the best comfort was no comfort at all.

 **A/N**

 **Well, what did you think? I nearly lost the majority of this story when my ipad refused to save and shut down! Thankfully, I copied it, so it's all good! I tried to use what I knew of Robin/Dick to make his personlity somewhat right (I'm sorry if it's a little bit off!). I couldn't have him beat the Joker, though, because he _is_ only 13, and he didn't beat him in Young justice either. **

**Anyway, aren't you guys so excited for the women's World Cup that's going on right now? It's so exciting!**

 **R &R**

 **Kisses!**

 **Alyss**


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